HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — The town of Huntersville's board of commissioners voted 4-2 to deny Birkdale Village’s rezoning request to build a seven story office building and parking deck on Monday.
This has been an ongoing debate for months, with the original plans also including 350 new apartments and a 125-room hotel.
The company that manages Birkdale received lots of pushback from neighbors about congestion and traffic, so they made some changes. To combat concerns of traffic congestion and overcrowding, developers eliminated the construction of a new hotel and apartments.
The newest version of the project called for the construction of new office space and an additional 450 parking spots in a new parking deck.
Many residents were still concerned about how the project would affect parking and traffic in Birkdale. North American Properties said the parking deck would be reserved for office tenants during business hours. However, on week nights and weekends, the deck would be free and open to the public.
The main reason for denying the office plans was building height — commissioners worried it would not fit in with the area. In the rezoning petition, North American Properties asked to build up to 110 feet tall, which is more than double the current maximum height limit in Birkdale Village.
The developer said it’ll now go back to the drawing board to decide what the future of the property will be. The plans will eventually replace where the Barnes & Noble and Dick’s Sporting Goods currently are, once a design is approved.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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